Through the Eyes of a Scavenger
by TrailMix22
Summary: A young boy is stranded in an abandoned village after it is attacked by Skywings. Does he have what it takes to bring his family back? My first fancfiction...
1. Loss, Revenge, and Escape

**A/N: This is my first fanfiction ever! Please read and give me constructive feedback and point out any grammatical errors. :)**

 **5,010 Years after the Scorching, The Sky Kingdom** I woke up in the moonlit forest. The pine needles glistened in wet dew while the trees swayed in the soft breeze. I heard a roaring and a howl of laughter in the distance. I tensed myself while beads of sweat trickled down my forehead.

I, Bowen, was a lonely scavenger boy who was abandoned by my clan. The searing heat of the flames that licked at my feet and my sister's desperate screams were imprinted inside my mind forever. Even though it had been many days ago it still pained me to think about it. Suddenly, an uncontrollable rage welled up within me. I _hated_ dragons! Those monstrous creatures destroyed my life and I was determined to destroy theirs.

Now I was constantly in fear and danger in dying in the talons of one of those overgrown reptiles. I gripped my stone dagger closer for protection. My natural instincts told me that I was near the Skywing palace where an arena match was currently being held. Father had always forbidden me to wander past the needle leaf forest, but there were no more rules now.

According to some history books, in the past 24 years the land in which we lived in had been in a constant state of turmoil. There were always gigantic dragons soaring overhead breathing flames and tearing their claws through each other's flesh. My father was a "wizard" who sold expensive animus touched objects. On my tenth birthday I received a special gift from my dad. It was a large amber dragon scale with a copper tint to it. Nobody could figure out what its special properties were so it was considered useless.

I gingerly took it out to look at my reflection on its smooth, glossy surface. But instead of seeing my reflection I saw the dark looming shadow of a dragon. I jerked my hand away and stifled a scream fearing that I would alert other nearby dragons. Slowly, I picked the scale back up thinking I was only hallucinating because of my extreme fatigue. But it was still there!

This time the vile creature faced me as it glowed faintly of a dark purple. My eyes were locked in place, I tried to move but my muscles but they felt like they was being weighed down by bags of sand. I tried to scream but my mouth was dry and my lips were cracked. Unexpectedly, the figure shifted its fluorescent scales revealing my mother and father. I finally found my speech,"M-my family, Where are they?" I stammered. I opened my mouth to speak again but before any words came out an intense pain shot up my back and rocketed into my skull. A deep, dark voice spoke and seemed to resonate from my mind and I shuddered.

 _ **To find your kin**_

 _ **Search for the forest**_

 _ **Of fruit and dragons**_

 _ **Past the land of marshes and reeds**_

 _ **There you will find**_

 _ **The shifting sands**_

 _ **Find the bay of burning trees**_

 _ **There you will find great joy and glee.**_

The dragon spread its wings and flew away into the distance as the glow faded. Then the scale turned blank. My vision blurred and my mind did somersaults. Finally, I collapsed into blackness.

I awoke to a light rain splattering on my face. The clouds were dark and rolling as if they were angry at each other. I clutched the dagger that was still in my hand from the night before. Slowly, I stood up and glanced at my surroundings. Rainwater seeped through the cracks in the rocky terrain and the ground was damp.

 _Past the land of marshes and reeds,_ I thought. That must have been the Mud Kingdom! I wanted to depart for my quest now but first I had to get supplies. I felt my pockets for anything that might be useful on my journey. I set my belongings on a lone boulder that wasn't too wet. I had a dry biscuit that was partially squashed, my grandfather's compass, a crude map of Pyrrhia, and my animus scale.

I stared at the map. I was roughly on the east coast of the Sky Kingdom, slightly north of the Diamond Spray Delta. If I traveled south I would hit the Mud Kingdom.

I spent the rest of the day searching through the scorched ruins of my scavenger den salvaging items that could still be used. Almost everything in the entire village had been burnt to ashes. Tears filled my eyes as I saw my father's workshop only partially standing and still smoldering. Only the enchantment book had remained and even that was singed on the edges.

A small necklace of some sort hung from some burnt framework. When I reached my hand out and grabbed it by the handle it emitted a faint purple glow. It must have been an amulet! I had read about these from a book on my dad's shelf. Even though my knowledge on them was very limited I knew that they were very powerful. I carefully stuck my head through the small golden chains. It was a perfect fit.

Suddenly, it levitated and tugged towards the enchantment book. I stood frozen in place for a second in both shock and amazement. The amulet thrummed with energy. " _ **Encado Minimo",**_ it seemed to whisper. Even before I could comprehend what had just happened I started mumbling the words " _encado minimo"._ The enchantment book jerked upwards and dissolved into a transparent vapor that was sucked into the amulet itself.

My mind throbbed and felt like it had just swallowed whole sea of information. I mysteriously knew spells and curses that I had never even heard of before. I sifted through my brain and found a summoning spell. I unconsciously murmured the words " _lavis natovis"._ A tingle of excitement bubbled through me as a plump brown rabbit materialized before me. I flipped through my mind and found a damage inflicting curse.

I broke into a sweat as I recited the words " _Captivo Avili"._ I saw thin tendrils of steam rise from the earthen mud and entangle itself around the rabbit. The furry creature writhed in pain as the wisps of steam pull tight around its body. I wanted to see the full ability of this curse to know how effective it was. I bit my lip, took a deep breath, and let the words come tumbling out of my mouth. " _Captivo avili maxima",_ I barely whispered. I waited anxiously for the curse to take effect. Suddenly, there was a swish of hot steam and a bright flash of light leaving nothing but a pile of gray smoking ashes. I stood and gaped at the both hideous and thrilling sight. It took me a full minute to recover. My mind raced, I use this against dragons!

Leaves rustled in the wind and drops of water collected in small pools beside a cluster of mossy stones. My veins seemed to course with magical power as the amulet thrummed against my chest. The rain had stopped and the sun shone in the early morning sky.

I took out my weathered map of Pyrrhia and calculated that the Skywing palace was about 20 miles north-west of me. I wanted to test my amulet's power on some Skywings, the same tribe of dragons that had destroyed my home. I would have to trek up mountainous terrain for at least 10 miles to see any dragons.

My ears followed the piercing sounds of screeches and roars. As I rounded the corner of a ravine I abruptly stopped in my tracks. I stared appalled at the gruesome sight. There lay a dragon corpse half burnt to crisp with a steady flow of blood oozing from the unscathed side of it. This must have been a battlefield!

Suddenly, an ear piercing roar came from directly behind me. I whipped around having just enough time to momentarily stun the dragon with a spell. " _Captivi avili!"_ I screamed, my voice cracking. The creature winced with a hint of surprise in its eyes as his scales hissed and steamed. Was it working? The dragon gave a shriek of savage fury. The spell had stopped taking effect! The Skywing shot a jet of white hot flame directed towards me. Luckily I dodged the inferno, but I nearly smashed right into reptile's talons. Its razor sharp claws were headed straight for my throat. At the same time I launched a spell which made the dragon's talons swerve slightly upwards. A pain exploded in my head as I was knocked back about 15 feet.

Dazed I tried to get to my feet but just helplessly fell back down. I felt something hot and sticky on my forehead which was most likely blood. "Ahh, A scavenger we have here." came a sly voice. "Hey, Peregrine, I think we have a trinket for Scarlet!" yelled the same voice. I barely had enough energy to open my eyes as I heard wingbeats to the left of me. "Hmm, let me see this creature," commanded a male voice which was most likely Peregrine.

I fumed with anger. I wasn't any creature. They were! I tried to scream but I was already having a hard time breathing.

"Should we take him back to the palace?" came the sly voice again. "Yes, I believe we should." replied Peregrine.

I could faintly make out claws reaching towards me. I tried to fight but the Skywing was extremely powerful and everything in me was completely drained out. The talons dug into my back making whimper in pain. Peregrine laughed and remarked, "These creatures are _so_ vulnerable", in a falsely sympathetic way.

I slowly felt myself being lifted off the ground and into the sky. This was going the exact opposite way I had planned this to go. _Is this the end?_ I thought. Then I blacked out.

I awoke with a start. My head pounded as I glanced at my surroundings groggily. I was inside a crude stone box covered in scratches and scorch marks. I could hear roars and wingbeats above me and the sound of a cascading waterfall in the distance. This must have been the Sky palace.

There was a small dish of half spilled water and a chunk of stanching meat set in front of the iron barred door. I gulped down the water which tasted vaguely of mud and bit off a piece of meat. Just then a large Skywing burst into my room with a cruel menacing face. "The Queen wants to see you" he said in a gruff voice. The dragon grabbed me by the waist and started walking down a long corridor in quick stride.

The palace was massive and covered in melted gold and encrusted with jewels. I could see hundreds of dragons flying overhead into the distance while the sun rose and cast a warm golden shadow upon the magnificent stone structure of the palace.

After a couple minutes of walking I found myself wondering why I could understand dragons but why they couldn't hear me. _The amulet of course!_ I thought. If my arms were free at that time I would have face-palmed myself, but unfortunately I was bound together by the powerful grip of a Skywing guard. The thought of the amulet got me wondering on how I could escape my imprisonment and continue the quest to find my family.

My thoughts were interrupted by the loud knock of a door. The sound resonated on the walls of the vast hallway behind me. "Do you have a permit to see Queen Scarlet, Valleyglider?" said an unfamiliar voice. My guard, Valleyglider, produced a slip of paper and the dragons guarding the door immediately let him through.

I was attacked thousands of rays of light sparkling off sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, and rubies redirecting sunlight into large shiny lanterns swaying from gold encased chains. The roof was a huge sky dome and areas that weren't covered in gold or gems were substituted by twenty foot high windows. There was the statue of a queenly Skywing that sat in an elegant posture on a throne that literally glowed. Suddenly, Valleyglider knelt down on his knees and gave a low bow. _Why would he bow down to a statue?_ I thought. Then, out of nowhere, there came a voice. "You may rise, Valleyglider." said a female voice. I jerked my head towards the voice. My eyes fell upon the statue. It had moved!

"Ah, this lowly scavenger has little respect for the queen of the Skywings," observed the dragon in a regal voice.

What I thought was a statue really was an _actual_ dragon. I yelped in terror and tried to run away but I found that Valleyglider had resumed gripping my waist. "Where did you find it?" the queen asked." In the Eastern Valley," my guard replied. "Interesting, scavengers usually don't come so close to the palace," the queen commented. "Anyways, I am sure _this_ scavenger, Scarlet gestured a hand toward me, will be absolutely _thrilling_ in my arena.

Suddenly, a dark orange Skywing came bursting through the door. "Th-the Seawing, she's attempted to escape again!" wheezed the dragon as he gasped for breath. "She what?!" roared Scarlet, who was completely outraged. The Queen stormed out the door and screamed for her elite guards to follow her. I quickly glanced around the throne room. Everybody seemed to be in a state of temporary shock. I seized this precious opportunity and bounded off along the gold embedded floor leaving a small cluster of dazed Skywings behind me.

I raced down the seemingly deserted hallways of the palace as I heard a growl of surprise in the corridor to my left. "Idiots!" hissed an unfamiliar voice. "They let the scavenger escape."

I heard the scraping of talons as I rounded the corner of the hallway only to find it guarded by a pair a burly Skywings. "Umm… what creature is this?" questioned on of the Skywings. "How should I know? Just stop it!" yelled the other guard.

The first guard responded immediately and leapt forward only to be left clawing the air for nothing. The second guard gave a burst of orange flame that singed some of my hair. I was unprepared for the sudden attack but I still managed to fire a spell that paralyzed the first guard but my reflexes were too slow to move. The second Skywing slammed right into me sending my body ten feet forward. Spain rushed into my head as it slammed into the door that the Skywings were guarding. Still rattled from the attack I slowly got up to my feet. The second guard was approaching me again so I fired a curse that sent him up in flames. He gave one last scream as he fell to the floor, dead.

I swiftly strode to the door and put my weight against it. The oak door slowly creaked open and I found myself overlooking the arena! Hordes of Skywings and Sandwings along with one or two Mudwings were shuffling around and craning necks trying to get a better view of the match that was going on. The fight seemed to be between a young male Mudwing and a female Skywing that was not much older than her opponent.

But this was no normal Skywing. She appeared to have smoking scales that glowed as if there were fire within them. In my old clan we had heard legends of such a dragon. I just thought that they were created so to scare children to not wander past the forest. As for today, that had changed. The Mudwing and the Skywing circled each other for a few minutes and boos came from the disappointed spectators. I grew nervous during this time so I decided to move away from the door.

I caught a glimpse of smooth lavender color and slowly made my way towards it as my curiosity took over. Unexpectedly, the color shifted to a turquoise and I took a step back in surprise. I could vaguely make out the shape of scales behind the shifting colors.

Now I was baffled so I casted a spell of stealth and moved even closer to the color shifting dragon. I whispered " _Tegeto Approchium,"_ as I made the strange dragon my target of interest. My body was suspended in midair as I inched my way toward the creature. As its whole body came into view I was amazed. It _was_ a dragon!

She was chained to some sort of metal tree that looked quite delicate. Suddenly, just as the match between the Mudwing and the Skywing was finally turning into somewhat of an attack, the color shifting dragon sat up and shot a dark liquid out of what seemed to be fangs. My head swung wildly searching for the target of the colorful dragon.

I jerked my head upwards to a bloodcurdling shriek and I stared in disbelief. I saw Queen Scarlet's face, or at least what used to be her face, sizzling and disintegrating past the scales and flesh right down to the bone.

Everybody stared in shock and fear. Then the arena erupted in pandemonium. All kinds of dragons flew left and right roaring, screaming, and breathing fire everywhere. Through all the chaos I managed to make out the form of the firescaled Skywing and the Mudwing along with a Seawing, and a seemingly disfigured Sandwing.

The group of dragon flew towards the color filled dragon which I finally realized to be a Rainwing. I was struck by fear and if it was not for the spell that I cast I would have been killed. The fiery Skywing hastily sliced through the metal bonds that bound the Rainwing to the tree sculpture and the band of dragons flew off towards the mountains.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading, again review and feel free to ask questions!**


	2. A New Hope for the Greater Good

**A/N: Second chapter already! Again, please bring in the reviews! Also, I will want to add an OC in future chapters. I will accept the first 5 submissions for consideration. Use a basic OC format: age, gender, role, appearance, etc.**

I was still bound to the spell that I cast on the Rainwing so I was dragged through the bedlam of dragons and towards the high mountains. The dragons seemed to be muttering about escape and this dragon named Starflight. I eyed the fire scaled dragon carefully as she kept her distance from the rest of the group.

As they flew onward I noticed that the roaring of the waterfall had grown closer and soon enough a magnificent array of water spraying of rocks came into view. The dragonets, which I calculated were about the same age, landed on the muddy surface of earth next to the river that the waterfall had created. They began a conversation that I only heard few words of. They kept on droning on about hiding and the Sea Kingdom.

I eventually tuned out of the discussion and dozed off to find myself awakened by the splashing of water against my face.

I viewed my surroundings and realized that I was moving again. This was odd because the band of dragonets were gone. I began to wonder where they went until I was jolted away from my thoughts by a splash and sting of freezing water against my skin. I thrashed around in desperation but I was being pulled under by the force of my own magic. Finally, after what seemed like a minute, the Rainwing that was bonded to my spell surfaced and I gasped for breath.

My body gradually adjusted to the water and I was drifting lazily down the Diamond Spray River via a magical current. For the first time I noticed that the Rainwing had camouflaged herself over the female Seawing swimming under her.

The Sea Dragon's powerful aquamarine tail that was beating back was only inches away from my torso so I had to contort my body in an odd position for the rest of the trip.

Eventually, the young group slowed to a stop near a bank of dense reeds and I heaved my drenched body to shore. I closed my weary eyes and I immediately fell asleep while the dragonets rambled on about a Skywing squadron.

My eyelids fluttered open to the sound of rustling and a great deal of flapping as the dragonets slid back into the water dragging me with them. I had decided to follow the group because I had a feeling that they were traveling a similar route to my quest to find my family. The group and I set off towards the Mud Kingdom because the river we had been swimming in was slowly getting shallower and murky instead of its previous glassy reflection.

As my mind wondered about my quest I suddenly realized that my map, compass, and other belongings were still being stowed in my pocket. I immediately suspended myself over the water and rifled through the pocket of my linen shirt. I found my compass, which was slightly rusted, little bits of soggy paper that must have been my map, and my animus scale that glistened in the early morning sun. Fortunately, the only things I lost were my stale biscuit and my stone dagger which had been pretty much replaced by the amulet. As for the map, I could remake one anytime using the magic from my amulet. I gave a sigh of relief as I cast a sealing charm on my pocket to prevent any further damage and I expertly slipped back into the water.

Shortly, we, as in the group and I, reached yet another waterfall and nonchalantly glided straight forward instead of crashing to our watery deaths. For the first time since the attack of my village I felt happy. I was exhilarated as we swooped in a great arc in midair and back down again.

I was unexpectedly jolted back to me senses as I heard a scream of terror. I swiveled my neck to locate where the scream came from and my eyes landed on the misshapen Sandwing who was staring down, her face showing great fear and horror. I jerked my head downwards and my eyes immediately saw the signs of a bloody battlefield. Amber glints mixed in with white ones as I could make out bodies strewn about on the marshy ground. Streams once flowing with fresh water were now stained a darkened red with a blueish tint to it.

As I recovered from my shock I could hear wails and cries of heartbroken Mudwings that were mourning over the loss of close friends and family. Tears began to stream down my face as my memory flashed back to when my family and I were brutally separated.

It finally dawned to me that dragons had hearts too. They weren't the ruthless reptiles that killed without remorse that I once thought they were. These were not the personalities of the dragons but the personalities of war. A wave of sadness washed over me as I realized that I was not the only one that was suffering during this time of corruption. _Millions_ of families all over Pyrrhia where heartbroken and in pain in the same way that I was and it was all because selfishness that I had not known what was happening in the world around me.

Now I had a new determination, to make this world a _better_ place instead of helping it to be dragged down into the pit of oblivion. I now had a new hope, a new adrenaline, which just might have been enough for me to reunite my family… Or even the world.

The group of dragons made a circle around the battlefield and broke off into two parties. The Mudwing and the Rainwing headed off towards the structures which were apparently mud huts and the rest of the group flew back towards the waterfall.

Reluctantly, I allowed myself to be dragged away by the Rainwing who had camouflaged herself to appear to be a convincing Mudwing. As they soared towards the huts I could smell the saltiness of the sea and my eyes felt a slight sting.

We came to a stop on the mushy ground and the Rainwing gave a small yelp of disgust. I heard a growl and I tensed my body for attack. It was a group of Mudwings who were do some sort of training exercise. The Mudwing stepped back and I hovered a few yards away just to be safe. As the older Mudwing stepped towards the one I had already met I fled out of fear and bolted into the sky and away from the confrontation. The Rainwing glanced up with a confused expression on her face as whoosh gusted against her camouflaged back. Her Mudwing companion gave her an inquisitive glance and then looked back to the older Mudwing he had started a conversation with.

I began to watch from a distance as the Mudwing and the Rainwing headed towards a hut that emanated with snoring. I cautiously approached the mud hut and peeked through crack created by a steady flow of rainwater collecting there. I could barely make out the shapes of chests rising and falling in the heavy scented room.

The Mudwing in my group stepped in through the earthen door and aroused one of the members of the troop. "What do you want? Our troop already is full if you're looking for a new one. Besides you're just a scrawny little dragonet!" said a female Mudwing. "Sorry for the interruption, but do you know which one of you is Cattail?" asked the Mudwing dragonet.

The female Mud Dragon furrowed her brow and said, "I'm Cattail, now what do you want?" A moment of awkward silence followed but finally the Mudwing dragonet took a deep breath and spoke up. "This may sound weird but, I'm Clay, your son, who was stolen about six years ago," The young Mudwing, whose name was Clay, said nervously. Now Cattail was really confused. "I never lost any eg- ohh! You're the one I traded with Asha. "Wait, you _traded_ me?!" Clay shouted while shaking his head in disbelief.

 _Family stuff, I guess_ I thought, and I quietly hovered away from the conversation between Clay and Cattail. After a few minutes Clay and the Rainwing emerged from the hut with Clay still shaking his head and muttering to himself. "Some parents, huh," commented the Rainwing as she tried to cheer the Mudwing up. "Not now, Glory," Clay said in a firm voice. "Geez, just trying to help," replied Rainwing. "Well, it's not helping!" Clay nearly shouted with the hint of a growl in his voice. The Mudwing definitely felt betrayed by his parents and was agitated by this. And obviously, Glory was not helping.

Suddenly, the pair of dragonets froze. I glared at the spot that their eyes were fixed on and saw four pairs of beady eyes staring at them. Glory and Clay began to stride off in the opposite direction as if they hadn't noticed anything but it didn't work. "Hey, stop you guys!" shouted an unfamiliar voice. The duo of young dragons turned around and tried to act casual. "Umm, what's up?" said Glory, who was trying to mask her uneasiness.

I levitated higher into the air hoping to get a better view of the dragons that were hiding in the mud. I once again, fled out of fear and headed towards the waterfall but on the way I caught a glimpse of a pale yellow. They were Sandwings. _What are they doing here_ I thought. I lowered myself until I was only a foot off the ground.

"We're searching for some dragonets," said one of the Sandwings in a slithering voice. "There are four of them on the loose. There's a weird Sandwing-ish thing, a Seawing, and a Mudwing, and a Rainwing. And- Oh, they're all dragonets," said the second Sandwing.

"Uhh, I never saw any of 'em," answered a scared Mudwing.

"Ok, but if you see anything suspicious let us know right away," said first Sandwing in an unconvinced voice. It seemed that Glory heard this (she must have had exceptionally sharp hearing.) so she nudged Clay and whispered something in his ear.

"Sorry guys, we have to go, but nice meeting you," said Clay in a genuinely sad voice. "Will you come back to visit us Bigwings?" asked the youngest dragonet.

"I promise I will, Umber," said Clay. After that was said, Clay and Glory flew off towards the waterfall to meet the rest of their friends.

"Hi Clay, hi Glory," piped the odd-looking Sandwing as the two dragonets met up with the rest of their friends.

"Hi, Sunny, were back," replied Clay. The group once again yakked on about 'attacking eggs' and this 'Starflight'. As they kept on chattering about a 'prophecy' I noticed a shadow that was slowly enveloping around me.

I looked up just in time to see a Nightwing dragonet plummeting towards me and to prevent my torso from being crushed. Unfortunately, my toes weren't so lucky. A few hundred pounds worth of dragon flesh landed on my toes just as they were inches away from being safe. "HEY, IT'S STA-," but the Seawing was cut off by a scream that sounded extremely un-dragon like.

"WHO DARES INTERRUPT TSUNAMI, FUTURE QUEEN OF THE SEA KINGDOM?!" the Seawing, whose name was apparently Tsunami, roared. I whimpered as her eyes that were filled with rage landed right on where I was cloaked. "You technically don't even know if you're royal blooded," commented Glory.

"Shut up, I think I hear something.

"You _think_ you hear something," taunted the Rainwing.

"I _Swear_ , Glory, I _will_ bite your head off," growled Tsunami dangerously.

"Then do it, I dare you," retorted Glory. Out of the corner of my I saw Clay mouth something to Starflight, the Nightwing, that looked something like," I think this is gonna turn into a fight". Starflight nodded his head in agreement.

Unexpectedly, Tsunami lunged at Glory but the cunning Rainwing camouflaged herself right before Seawing's webbed talons sank into her multicolored scales. As she did this Tsunami roared and started clawing the air in her fury. I used this time to escape and take to the air as the two dragonets attacked each other.

There was still a pain in my foot so I wracked my brain for a pain relieving spell, but my amulet couldn't do everything. Sunset was approaching and the dragonets and I began to drift to sleep. I slept in the sky while the piled up on top of each other on the ground.

I was just dozing off I heard a shout. "There they are. Get'em!" came an unfamiliar voice. The pile of dragonets below me murmured at first but as the shouts became louder the heap of dragonets became aware of the situation and began to scramble off each other in a frantic manner. The Rainwing was the first to get to her feet so, once again, I was dragged back toward the ground as she bolted into the forest of gnarled trees.

The others followed Glory into the woods as the group of pursuers swooped in a circle and came to rest where the dragonets were sleeping only moments ago. "Come back here you little brats!" growled a voice that came from behind me. "Show yourselves!" bellowed the voice again.

"Shouting will do nothing, Cobra," came a slick voice. It was the same voice that I had heard from the Sandwing guard earlier today.

"I have a better idea," came the slick voice again.

"Whatever, Sandbank," Cobra muttered. "Here, put this on," Sandbank commanded. "Why should I?" replied Cobra.

"Just do what I tell you!" Sandbank hissed and screeched simultaneously.

There was some muttering, some rustling, and the sound of a bottle being uncorked. Something was tossed into the bramble nearby and a sickly sweet smell started envelope the dragonets' hiding place which included me. I was baffled as the smell became unbearable and I began to feel woozy. My vision was darkening and I thought, _They're gassing us!_

Two figures donned in masks came crashing through the branches and I heard a few yelps of terror. I panicked and sluggishly concealed myself in the hollow trunk of twisted oak tree and slumped to the ground. The last thing I saw before my vision went dark was two Sandwing silhouettes dragging away five unconscious dragonets.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	3. The Search

**Important Note: So guys, guess what: I lived... Basically, It's been a while (2 years) and to say the least I've lost interest in Wings of Fire, but there is still more to this story that I have written, stowed away in an untouched Google Doc just sitting there. It is not edited at all so expect some (a lot of) spelling/grammatical errors. Thanks for actually following this wack fanfic for those of you that have. Enjoy!...**

 **Chapter 3: The Search**

As my vision came back to me I looked around only to see a forest lit in the moonlight. A few insects were chirruping cheerfully as the tall patches of grass swayed in the wind. I sat concealed in my stump and thought back to what happened this week. My vision became murky again embraced the darkness that blanketed my mind.

Sunlight filtered through the dense thicket I aroused from my dreamless slumber. My mind raced. _What happened! Why am I here! Where did the dragonets go!_ I looked around wildly as if I would suddenly spot Glory's vibrant scales behind a stump or bush. Then I slowly recalled what had happened the night before. The two mysterious Sandwing troops must have gassed dragonets while they were caught off guard. I didn't know exactly why but I had a sudden sensation that I needed to save them. I dismissed the thought as I took to the air using the supernatural powers of the amulet. Throughout my journey south I kept on hearing whispers in the wind that seemed say my name. " _ **Bowenn, Bowennn, go backkk and save themmm,"**_ the whispers reverberated. Finally, just as the earthen colored palace came into sight, I couldn't take it any longer. I wheeled around in frustration and screamed at the air. "WHAT DO YOU WANT OF ME!?" I cried. The amulet stung on my neck pulsed with energy. " _ **Ssaavee thhe draagonnets,"**_ the talisman replied. I couldn't stand it anymore so I tore off in the opposite direction of which I was traveling and headed back towards where the juvenile dragons were taken. The mystic powers of my amulet seemed to guide me like a cat following the scent of its prey (a Warriors reference). My aeronautical authorities wove in and out of trees and crags of mountain passes that were scattered throughout the Sky Kingdom. My mind throbbed as pictures were seemingly transferred via the magical link between me and the enchanted jewel. I vaguely made out the blurry figure of the strange Sandwing that was chained to a granite wall. She was also gagged with a ragged cloth that apparently kept her from screaming her lungs out and alerting every animal within a five mile radius. Beside her, the burly Mudwing lay sprawled across the floor in a helpless fashion.

As the day wore on, the sun beat down on my back and perspiration slid down my neck. The mysterious pull dragged me over tree over tree and boulder over boulder. An image flashed before my eyes. Two scarred Skywings were carrying Glory away. The Rainwing had a look of terror in her face and tears were streaming down her face. I winced in pain. _Did I cause_ all _this_? I thought. A burning sensation formed in the pit of my stomach and consumed my like how a spark causes a wildfire. I must have been drawing nearer to the fortress where the dragonets were being held. Just as I drifted over the crest of a barren hill, my face was assaulted by a blast of ashen, putrid air. My face seared with pain and every muscle in my body stopped responding to the commands from my brain. As my vision returned, I could make out the forms of bustling dragon pounding on metal that glowed white in the heat of a furnace. Ahead of the smithy, I could see turrets rising from the rocky landscape and a rocky structure secured behind the towers and walls. It must have been the stronghold where the dragonets were being held in captivity.

I was suddenly aware that my body was visible to all the dragons below me, and it wouldn't be long before one of them spotted me. I quickly darted into a thicker patch of smoke that rose from a primitive looking chimney. I nearly gagged on my own breath as I descended through the smoke to smash into the ground hands first with a sickening crunch. Dark blood squirted out of my wounded digits as I muffled a cry. My head spun for almost the tenth time this week. Really, I had lost count at four when I was trying to kill the Skywing I encountered at the ravine.

I stumbled into a patch of bramble laced with thorns as I stumbled to find a place to hide. _Why did I have to be dragged into this stupid mess anyways?_ I sighed as I winced at the sight of my hands. They were caked in mud and dust in addition to the blood gurgling through its grimy barrier. I croaked out an invocation and watched as my disfigured fingers connect to their joints again. As the layer of mud crumbled away, I saw that my cuts had already sealed leaving not even a blemish. I looked down at myself. I was scratched and bruised and my ribs stuck out. I was covered in sweat and my hair was greasy and matted. I was definitely _not_ a sight anyone, or should I say any _thing_ would want to see.

As the clamor of the world returned to me, I was startled a talon with wicked looking claws swung across. I swung myself into an attacking position. Immediately after I had done so, I saw that the dragon that the talon belonged to couldn't have spotted me because I was concealed in the bramble. I cast an invisibility hex as I cautiously stepped out into the open. A huge fortress loomed before me with large limestone bricks sealed with a form of mortar. Cruel Sandwing guards patrolled every foot of the perimeter of the cordon. The majority of the guards possessed twisted spears with barbed edges. They were talking about some dragon named Saguaro who was allegedly selling poached scavengers on the Black Market at "Scorpion Den."

 _Scavengers? Haven't I heard that name before? Oh yes! That's what Scarlet called me in her throne room! It must be my family! I need to find them!_

Unfortunately, at that moment, I remembered what my current mission was. I was looking for the dragonets. _Argh! Those stupid good for nothing little dragons! Why is the amulet forcing_ me _to rescue them?_ At the moment a thought swirled through my head, " _ **Ddessstinyy,"**_ it murmured. _What? What does that mean?_ I shrugged my shoulders and slowly crept past the guards under the protection of a stealth charm. One of the scarred Sandwings growled and I stiffened. "I know you're there," he snarled dangerously. The color drained from my face as he lunged swiping at the air in at his invisible opponent. I made a run for it as I hopped the iron gate the fortified the portcullis. "Stop it!" the attacking guard howled. "What do you mean? Are you crazy or what?" the attacker's companion said questionably.

I never got to hear how my attacker replied because a white spiral of magic shot out of my amulet and came in contact with the portcullis with a deafening crash. The limestone wall shuddered and began to crumble. I heard a shriek that was cut short by a shattering crack and a shower of powder and crushed limestone. I looked behind me and was saw a huge cloud a dust rushing towards me.

I froze in shock; I would surely asphyxiate if the deadly triturate filled my lungs. I backed against the portcullis in horror, but, at that moment, I had a sudden compulsion to grasp the amulet. I held onto it for dearly life as the dust approached me at a lethal speed. As I closed my eyes I recited a prayer that my mother had taught to me when I was a mere child, mumbling the words with all my might.

As shut my eyes tightly as I awaited my sure demise, but suddenly I felt like a snake was squeezing out my innards. A cold sensation gripped my body and the world seemed to bend before me. A faded light glowed everywhere for the fraction of a second, and then everything was enveloped in darkness. A dark force rattled my bones as I struggled to breath and I tried to scream out every last ounce strength that was in my physical, but my emotions overtook me and I mentally choked on a sob. _Is this what it's like to die? No! I refuse to believe this! Why did death ever have to be so miserable?_

Unexpectedly, it seemed that a pair of tingling tentacles wrapped themselves around me and pulled me out of the blanket of heavy darkness. Sunlight flooded out of the obscurity, and I felt myself sprawled on a limestone ground. _Where is the limestone cloud! I thought I was leaning on the portcullis? Am I dead?!_ Thought rushed through my head and I shut my eyes. Then, I looked around and found that I was standing on top of a low tower overlooking the limestone wall. I looked down and saw a shower of limestone fragments fly out through the portcullis.

 _The portcullis? How_ _can I be seeing this? I was right down there!_ I abruptly recalled that I had strangest feeling while clutching the amulet. I glanced at the amulet which was glowing brightly and was coursing with the same energy I felt while I was enveloped in the suffocating blackness. What did this mean? An irrational thought entered my head and I shook my head in disbelief. _It just_ couldn't _be this! But… could it? Could it be possible that I just teleported?_ A stronger pierced the thoughts in my mind. I gave away and let the force enter me. " _ **Fffooccuss,"**_ came a distorted voice that echoed from the amulet. _On what?_ _ **Yyoour ttassk.**_ _Do you mean the dragonets?_ The ominous voice didn't reply so I assumed he meant the dragonets.

I saw that a crowd of Sandwings and Skywings had gathered around the portcullis waiting for the dust to clear. _Oh no._ I thought. _They'll be looking for me when they don't find my body. I should move away from the open before somebody spots me again._ I crawled into a crevice next to an oaken door that was reinforced with iron bars. The clanging of the iron smelters had faded to a distant undertone. Now the whisper of guards and low discussions replaced the constant din of the working blacksmiths. The occasional clang of a spear reverberated through the walls of the fortress as I against the walls still under the concealment of the stealth charm I had cast. I saw a passing squadron of guards and struggled to tap into their muddled conversation. "Did you see Queen Scarlet?" a guard said quietly. "Yeah, I overheard that she had some business with the "Dragonets of Destiny," replied scraggly voice. _The Dragonets of Destiny? Did he mean the group I'm looking for? Then what is this "destiny"? Now I need to find them even more. Is there no end to this mystery?_ I spotted a massive door that was carved out of stone and saw that a depiction was engraved on the whole front side of the door. It displayed a female Sandwing stabbing her poisonous barb through the skull of a male Icewing. It looked fairly recent because stone chippings still littered the floor in front of the door. Carved in talon writing underneath were the words of a foreign language that I assumed was the international language of the dragons of Pyrrhia. My head mysteriously began to pulse with magic and I felt a strange prickling sensation. My vision doubled, and then tripled. When my sight finally cleared and came back into focus I could somehow understand what the marks on the door meant! It read, "All hail Burn of the Sandwings, future successor to the throne passed down from the deceased Queen Oasis. Was this one of the Sandwing sisters who contributed to the main cause of this war? Who was this Burn? I heard another guard's footsteps approaching so I was forced to slide under the stone door. _What could be behind that's so important?_ I felt claustrophobic as I wriggled under the tight crack and I noticed a change of temperature in the room behind the door. The limestone tiles became covered with granules of sand and I perspired from the intensifying heat. _It feels like a furnace in here. Who would want a room this hot?_ My head popped out and I was met with a colossal arched ceiling above me. Ahead, there was a throne carved out of sandstone engraved with crude designs. Whoever had his built clearly didn't care about beauty like Queen Scarlet did. As I thought, the floor was covered in smooth, white sand. The sand burned to touch as a result of the penetrating heat that flowed through the room out of huge, grated shafts on the walls. Set before the throne was a banquet table covered in delicacies I had never seen before. The half of the table that was closest to the entrance was surrounded by a channel of water. The fluid seemed to churn every once in awhile and small iron poles propelled up and down in a repetitive motion. _How curious._ I thought. _What purpose does this contraption serve?_

All of a sudden, a blast of cold air rushed from behind me as the stone doors swung open. I jumped into the air and cast a curse that would act somewhat like a virtual platform suspended in midair. As I carefully crouched on the platform, I doubled my stealth charm just to be safe. I looked towards the set of doors and saw that two guards were responsible for the opening of them. These guards were not normal guards. One was a Sandwing and the other a Skywing, each equipped with twisted weapons that looked almost like what the big human villages had in their weaponry deposits, but these were only bigger and crueler. The weapons had the form of a javelin but its head had a curved spear point with jagged, serrated edges. The shaft of the weapon itself was enameled with a shiny, purplish metal that glinted in the torchlight. How did the dragons know how to make such items? Did they learn these building techniques from us humans? Behind the guards were two dragons, also a Sandwing and a Skywing. "Please excuse the heat Scarlet," the Sandwing said.

"No problem, dear, I'm used to this environment on all the diplomatic missions I take. "My brain dead messengers are useless for consulting opinions of other queens. Oh, I assure you, you _will_ be future queen of the Sand Kingdom in no time, dear," the Skywing, Scarlet said.

"Stop calling me 'dear'!" The Sandwing spat.

"Fine, _Burn_ , have it _your_ way," sneered Scarlet.

 _Burn? She was the one on the carving on the door! She must one of the three Sandwing sisters_ _who started this war._

"I heard that you-"but Burn was cut off.

"Let's act regally and more like civilized dragons shall we?" said Scarlet.

"And no interrupting me either you lizard scum," muttered Burn under her breath.

Scarlet acted as if she hadn't heard the snide comment, but her facial expression clearly showed disgust. I let the two dragons babble on until a distinct word caught my interest, _dragonets._ I immediately tuned into their conversation and lowered my platform to drift closer.

"Ahh, yes those little rascals. I have them locked in a cell just waiting for your arrival. I have the keys right here for you as a special convenience," Burn said.

Eagerly, Scarlet lashed at Burn with a claw in attempt to snatch the keys from her open talon. But at the last second, the Sandwing drew away leaving the Skywing queen to swipe at empty air.

"Not so fast, my friend, where's my payment?" Burn asked slowly.

"OH THREE MOONS NOW YOU WANT A _PAYMENT_?!" Scarlet roared, clearly infuriated.

"Yes, yes I do my ally. Or should I clarify for you, the roast camel you just ate contains a deadly poison. The same poison that all Sandwings have the ability to use. She gestured to her barbed tail with glinting eyes.

"HOW DARE YOU, YOU BEAST. I'LL TEAR YOU APPAR-," Scarlet was cut off. She coughed, causing blood to splatter on the table before her. "You will never get away with this, Burn," Scarlet sputtered.

"You have exactly two minutes left, Scarlet, so I suggest you use them wisely," said Burn, her eyes still with a deadly glint in the torchlight.

"All I need is one dragon Scarlet, just one, little dragon," said Burn. She extended on claw to emphasize the demand she had of the Sky Queen.

"Fine, _Burn_ ," Scarlet wheezed. "Now who do you want?"

"All I want," Burn paused," is Soar."

 **So, that sums up this chapter. If you guys want the last and unfinished chapter just let me know. Goodbye.**


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